Banks reverse losing streak
Interest in bank stocks helped the Greek bourse to register significant gains in the week’s final session, reversing the losses that the main index had sustained over the week. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,927.62 points yesterday, expanding by 2.42 percent from Thursday’s close at 1,882.10 points. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index grew by 2.76 percent to end up at 960.16 points. Banks led rising blue chips on expectations for the successful issuance of a 10-year Greek government bond, with Piraeus Bank gaining 7.87 percent, EFG Eurobank growing by 7.55 percent, ATEbank adding 4.40 percent, Alpha Bank increasing by 3.86 percent and National Bank expanding by 3.82 percent. Motor Oil lost 3.12 percent and Marfin Popular Bank shed 0.55 percent. Turnover came to 146.2 million euros.